It matters, in certain contexts. For example: a large number of clustering methods boil down to matrix factorization, with variations in the constraints. If yo

It matters, in certain contexts. For example: a large number of clustering methods boil down to matrix factorization, with variations in the constraints. If you have both domain understanding and a general understanding of what kind of output these variations are likely to result in, you can often narrow down the list of methods you need to try. Also, interviews.